March 31, 2019

Mulvaney: Trump decided to fund Special Olympics because 'the public wanted' it

https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1112347369117503489

March 31, 2019

Mulvaney: Mueller report 'not designed' to exonerate Trump

Source: The Hill



BY CHRIS MILLS RODRIGO - 03/31/19 09:39 AM EDT

White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation was "not designed" to exonerate President Trump.

“That is not what these documents do,” Mulvaney said when asked why Trump has claimed exoneration from obstruction charges, despite the report explicitly saying it did not exonerate him.

“When you do an investigation like this there is typically two outcomes: either criminal indictments come down or it just quietly goes away."

“These types of investigations are not designed to exonerate people.”

https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1112341827397414912

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/436615-mulvaney-mueller-report-not-designed-to-exonerate

March 31, 2019

UPDATED Biden says he never "acted inappropriately" in first statement after Lucy Flores accusation

BY JASON SILVERSTEIN

MARCH 31, 2019 / 9:40 AM / CBS NEWS

In his first statement since a Nevada political candidate accused him of inappropriate touching, former Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday said he did not believe he ever "acted inappropriately," but would listen to suggestions saying otherwise. Lucy Flores has said that Biden kissed the back of her head during a 2014 campaign event.

"In my many years on the campaign trial and in public life, I have offered countless handshakes, hugs, expressions of affection, support and comfort," Biden's statement said. "And not once — never — did I believe I acted inappropriately. If it is suggested that I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention."

Biden added that he "may not recall these moments the same way, and I may be surprised by what I hear. But we have arrived at an important time when women feel they can and should relate their experiences, and men should pay attention. And I will."

Flores, a Democrat who served on the Nevada State Assembly, wrote a piece for New York magazine's The Cut on Friday alleging that Biden "inhaled" her hair and then kissed her before a campaign rally in 2014, when she was running for Nevada's lieutenant governor.

more
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/joe-biden-says-he-never-acted-inappropriately-in-first-statement-lucy-flores-accusation/

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UPDATE


https://twitter.com/BillR/status/1112339598699626501

March 31, 2019

One of the GOP's brightest female stars is dogged by Trump in 2020

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst will have to outrun the president, whose trade war has damaged his standing in the state.

By MARIANNE LEVINE 03/31/2019 06:57 AM EDT

ADEL, Iowa —Joni Ernst had barely kicked off a town hall one morning here recently when the barrage of complaints about Donald Trump began.

One after one, constituents took to the microphone to grill the first term Republican senator about the president — his attacks on John McCain, his emergency declaration at the border and why, in the opinion of several voters, Ernst hasn’t stood up to him more often.

“Other senators are speaking up criticizing Trump and defending McCain, but I have yet to hear one word from you,” one man implored her. “Is there no line Trump can cross that would cause you to break ranks with him?”

Ernst kept her cool as she answered the 30 people who trekked to a high school auditorium on the outskirts of Des Moines to hear her. But she was emphatic in response: “Oh, I break ranks with President Trump quite a bit.” After defending McCain, she said: “So right there — there you have it.”

Ernst better get used to it. At the same time she's gearing for reelection, Democratic presidential candidates will be camped out in Iowa hammering Trump at every turn. The heightened attention on the president will test the political agility of Ernst, who has generally earned high marks in the state but is having to answer for Trump — whose poll numbers lag behind hers — and some of his unpopular policies.

more
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/31/joni-ernst-trump-2020-iowa-senate-1244074

March 31, 2019

Saudi king rejects measures impacting Syrian sovereignty over Golan Heights

Source: Reuters



MARCH 31, 2019 / 6:58 AM / UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO

1 MIN READ

TUNIS (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia’s King Salman said on Sunday that he “absolutely rejects” any measures that impact on Syrian sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Addressing an Arab League summit in Tunis, he also reiterated Saudi Arabia’s position supporting the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation last week recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli, less than four months after recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tunisia-arabs-summit-saudi/saudi-king-rejects-measures-impacting-syrian-sovereignty-over-golan-heights-idUSKCN1RC0D6?il=0

March 31, 2019

Most Americans 'Uncomfortable' with Trump Re-Election

March 31, 2019 at 9:11 am EDT By Taegan Goddard

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds half of registered voters say they are “very uncomfortable” with President Trump’s candidacy for re-election while an additional 9% say they have “some reservations.”

Among those saying they’re “very uncomfortable” are at least half of several traditional swing voter groups, such as independents (50% saying they are “very uncomfortable”), suburban women (56%) and moderates (57%).

In contrast, just 26% of voters overall say they’re “enthusiastic” about Trump’s 2020 bid, with another 14% saying they are “comfortable.”

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https://politicalwire.com/2019/03/31/most-americans-uncomfortable-with-trump-re-election/

March 31, 2019

Democrats have room to grow as voters rank 2020 candidates

The poll shows challenges for President Donald Trump, some good news for former VP Joe Biden and growth potential for some of the Democrats’ fresh faces.

By Dante Chinni and Sally Bronston

WASHINGTON - Before citizens can actually vote for a presidential candidate, they first have to be comfortable with him or her and this week’s NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll offers some clues about where voters stand on the growing (and growing) 2020 field.

The poll shows some serious challenges for President Donald Trump, some good news for former Vice President Joe Biden and growth potential for some of the Democrats’ fresh faces.

Let’s start with one candidate who seems pretty certain to be on the ballot in 2020, President Trump. The overall number shows some reason for concern at the White House. Only 40 percent of those surveyed said they felt “enthusiastic about” or “comfortable with” candidate Donald Trump.

Republicans look to be all in on the president, with 79 percent saying they are enthusiastic or comfortable.

Republicans look to be all in on the president, with 79 percent saying they are enthusiastic or comfortable. As you might expect, Democrats are at the opposite end of the spectrum, with only six percent saying they feel that way about the president.

more
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/democrats-have-room-grow-voters-rank-2020-candidates-n989286?cid=public-rss_20190331

March 31, 2019

Most Americans don't think Trump is in the clear yet on Russia, new poll finds

Source: NBC News



President Trump's approval remains stable and a third of voters say they don't know whether the summary of Mueller's findings clears him of wrongdoing in new NBC News/WSJ poll.

March 31, 2019, 8:59 AM EDT
By Carrie Dann

WASHINGTON — Even as the White House breathes a sigh of relief in the wake of special counsel Robert Mueller’s summarized findings in the Russia probe, the American public does not see a clear verdict about whether or not President Donald Trump has been cleared of wrongdoing.

According to a new NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll, 29 percent of Americans say they believe Trump has been cleared of wrongdoing, based on what they have heard about Mueller’s findings, while 40 percent say they do not believe he has been cleared.

But a third of Americans — 31 percent — say they’re not sure if Trump has been cleared. That includes nearly half of independents (45 percent) and about a quarter of both Democrats (27 percent) and Republicans (25 percent.)

Respondents were asked about their views of the special counsel’s work on March 25-27, beginning the day after Attorney General William Barr released his summary of Mueller’s report that stated the probe “did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election.”

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/poll-after-mueller-summary-americans-are-still-wait-see-mode-n989061?cid=public-rss_20190331

March 31, 2019

Ohio Voters Disapprove of Trump By Large Margin

March 31, 2019 at 8:51 am EDT By Taegan Goddard

A new Baldwin Wallace University poll finds just 39% of Ohio adults approve of President Trump’s job performance, with almost three times more saying that they “strongly disapprove” of Trump’s handling of the presidency than those who said they “strongly approve.”

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https://politicalwire.com/2019/03/31/ohio-voters-disapprove-of-trump-by-large-margin/